Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-09-25
AFRICAN BLOOD BROTHERHOOD"

Bishop Taylor's Experience with = sable
Potentate-A solemn Ceremony.
In about half an hour the king came.
He was attended by a body guard of 100
soldiers armed for combat. The intro
duction was unceremonious, because the
two men could not speak a common Ian
guage. The bishop relieved the situation
Of any awkwardness by stepping forward
quickly and extending his hand to roy
atty, saying as he did so, II I'M glad to
meet you" The king received the prof
fered hand with dignity, and when the
bishops words had been translated to
him he responded:
II have heard of the old white man,
well digger, long walker, who speaks
kind words. What would the old white
man do in Mambahngog"
Il am on my way" explained the
bishop. ito Malange, where friends will
follow me and stay"
.'You are welcome to Mambalungo,"
continued the king. "Why not stay
here with us rather than journey on to
Malange?"
II have many places TO visit, o king,
but my friends who will follow me will
visit you You are now at war; when
there is peace again you may see much
Of U.S."
The answer was well understood by
the African, but he made no objection.
In a moment he continued. .'Tell me
what it is that the old white man, well
digger, long walker, and his friends
would do in this land?'
''Wc come to live among you, TO bring
you peace and to tell You of many good
things"
The king was impressed deeply with
the idea that the bishop and his friends
had come to stay and to work for them
selves upon the soil instead Of trading.
As he talked with the bishop, he grew to
like the old white man more and more,
and at last he said: I'VE have heard that
the men of Kumbua are coming to make
war upon us. They lie between here
and Malange. You will not venture to
continue your Journey before we have
defeated them and brought about q
peace!"
''Yes, o kiIlg!' replied the bishop. II
shall 60 on as soon as ! can. am a
friend to the people of Mambalungo and
their king, hut | am also a friend 10 the
Kumbuans and their king likewise.
There is no danger for me from them
any more than there is danger from you.
There is One above me to guard and pro-
tect me-
The white mans God is indeed very
powerful" assented the king. gravely,
land the white man speaks bravely and
frankly. None other would / permit to
pass from u town to the army of the
Kumbuans. / believe you are my friend
and / viii show you that | am yours"
He thereupon summoned his chief lieu.
tenant, and after a brief talk with him
sat down on the floor of the hut and
beckoned the bishop to sit beside him.
The lieutenant then did some talking. the
purport of which was that the king de-
sired to cement the friendship he had
formed for the white man by having the
ceremony Of blood brotherhood per-
formed upon them. The bishop con-
sented, although he knew little Of the
ceremony.
The lieutenant produced a sharp point
ed knife, highly polished. which he
touched upon his tongue, whether TO test
it's sharpness, after the manner of bar
bers, o. TO give proof that il was not
poisoned the bishop could not be certain.
Then, standing up before the king and
the bishop, he made an impressive ad-
dress, which the bishop learned later was
about the relations that ought TO main
tain between brothers. Then he knelt by
the king, who raised his robes slightly so
as to disclose his leg bare TO the knee.
The lieutenant pricked the calf with
the point Of his knife, so that a few drops
of blood ran. He caught them in his left
hand and turned to the bishop. who,
compromising the situation. rolled his
trousers part way up his legs. The lieu
tenant made n similar incision upon the
bishops calf and caught the dropping
blood in the same hand that held the
kings blood. Then he stood up again
and rubbed the palms of his hands to-
gether, so that the blood was thoroughly
mixed. sitter which he spatted both hands
violently upon the ground. rubbing off
all traces Of the blood with dust, saying
rs he did so;
"Let a dragon spring forth from the
mingled blood upon the ground and de-
st1oy him who shall first break the ties Of
brotherhood here formed"
The king arose, reached out his hand
10 the bishop, who extended his own
hand. and they shook solemnly, and the
ceremony was over.